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The House Education & the Workforce Committee has kicked off its education reform push by approving common-sense legislation to streamline and simplify K-12 programs operated by the Department of Education. The Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act (H.R. 1891), authored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), does away with roughly half of the federal government’s K-12 programs under current law, reducing red tape for states and school districts, and scaling back Washington’s presence in the classroom. The full House is expected to vote on the measure in the coming months.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), called H.R. 1891 “a starting point that helps us narrow down the role of the federal government while making sure taxpayer dollars can be dedicated to the most efficient K-12 programs.”

Many of these duplicative programs were recently de-funded by Congress and now the committee is working to eliminate them altogether, ensuring Washington can never bring them back. Others have not been funded in recent years, or were never funded at all. And a few, Chairman Kline noted, “simply represent an inappropriate use of federal taxpayer dollars.” Streamlining and simplifying these programs will provide more certainty for administrators and teachers, and ensure taxpayer resources are targeted to what works best. That’s why Speaker Boehner worked to consolidate education programs when he served as the committee’s chairman.

Americans for Limited Government has applauded the Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act for making it easier for “students, teachers, and taxpayers … to focus their time and resources on those programs with a proven track record of success.” The Council of the Great City Schools praised the measure as a “long overdue” effort to “clean up, streamline, and refocus” federal education programs.

This legislation is part of Chairman Kline’s commitment to “pursue a new direction” for education reform that “starts with re-examining how federal dollars are spent in the education system.” Visit the Education & the Workforce Committee on Twitter, Facebook, or visit http://edworkforce.house.gov/ to stay up to date on its efforts to reduce barriers, encourage innovation, and promote excellence in the nation’s classrooms.